Phonograph



April 5,1927. 55525353 I. J. VETTER PHONOGRAPH' .Filed Sept. 11. 1923 6Sheets-Sheet 1 A ia 5,- 1921;

l. J. VETTER PHONOGRAPH Filed Sept. 11. 1923 6 sheetebsheet 2 April5,1927, v 1,623,45f

- I. J. VETTER PHONOGHAPH Filed Sept; 11. 1 s Sheets-Sheet 5 wuentozAprii E5 9 19274 1,623,451

I. J. VETTER PHONOGRAPH Filed Se t. 11. 1923 6 s t -s t 4 Apri? 5 1927..

l. .1. VETTER PHONOGRAPH Filed Sept/11. .1923 5 s 9t 5 t e Patented Apr.5, 1927.

IGNATIUS T. VETTER, OF NEW YORK, 'N. Y.

. Yrs-2,451

- ice.

rnonoeiaarn.

Application filed September 11, 1323. Serial ITO/662,031.

My invention relates to phonographs or sound reproducing apparatus and,generally stated, its ob ect generally is to increase the volumeandquality of the tone and at the same time secure faithful reproductionof.

the recorded sound.

More specifically the object of my invention is to reproduce or impartnatural'tone to recorded or transmitted sounds and to amplify, modify,separate and balance the tones of different instruments and voices andalso to eliminate all. objectionable and mechanical noises.

'By my invention it becomes possible to dispensewith the horn ordinarilyemployed and to cause the sounds to be reproduced wholly by sound boardsand resonators.

To these ends, my invention consists essentia lly in delivering thesounds from the tone arm into a space or enclosure. one or more boundingwalls of which consist of a freely vibrating sounding board, theenclosure into which the sound is so delivered being completed by 'othersuitable sound confining boards some or all. of which may be freelyvibrating sound boards free to vibrate at their'edges as hereinafterdescribed. In some cases, said sound confining boards which complete theenclosure may have the function only of confining the sound and not bethemselves the source of sound vibrations but, in such case, they mustbe so applied to completethe enclosure as not to interfere with the freevibration of the sound boardscwhich respond to the sound within theenclosure and serve directly or in conjunction. with other devices toreproduce the tones or vibrations.

My invention consists also in a phonograph cabinet or enclosure and indetails of construction of sound amplifying devices and resonators andin the arrangement of the same, as hereinafter more particularlydescribed and then specified in the claims. In the accompanyingdrawings. I have shown my invention as embodied in or carried out inconnection with apparatus having features of construction andcharacteristic devices that are described and claimed in my prior Patentl To. 1,48'Z',299 dated March 18, 1924.

My invention is however useful in con-1 nection with reproducingapparatus of other forms as will be apparent from the subjoineddescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. in whichFig. 1 is avertical central section through the apparatus in itspreferred form.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view ofthe bank of amplifying boards used in thespace or e0 enclosure connected directly to the tonearin or outletthereof through which the sounds reproduced by the stylus are delivered.Fig. 3 illustrates in perspective one of said boards with the preferredshape of end thereof where it bears against a sounding board or bridgetherefor.

Fig. 4; is a perspectiveview of the top of I the apparatus with a partshown in section and other part broken away.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the reso-., nator forming the enclosingbottom of the stand or cabinet.

Fig. 6 is'a perspective view of a board or wall suitable for use incompleting the enclosure, one side or wall of which consists of thefreely vibrating sound board respons'ive to the sounds delivered fromthe tone arm into the enclosure. V

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of aportion of the bank or rack of soundboards form ing a sound vibrational carrier and amplifier between thefreely vibrating sound board forming a wallof the enclosureinto whichthe sounds are directly delivered from thetone arm and a verticalresonator arranged within the reproducer cabinet. Fig. 8 is a re r viewof the part shown in Fig. 6. 7

Fig 9 shows the preferred form'of one of the vertically disposedresonators- I p Fig. 10 shows the mannerof applying the compression clipor bar thereto. H Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the sound boards orresonators upon which the rack of sound boardswithin the sound receivingenclosure is engaged at ts end. V

Fig. 12 shows 1n perspective parts. of the framing at the bottom of thecabinet where-;

by the resonators of Fig. 11 are supported; 1 indicates the base of thecabinet .or en closurefor the apparatus-hereinafter de- L e' The variousSoundboardsof which the scribed and 2 the sides rising therefrom andconsistlng preferably of panels perforated or cutout in fretwork of anydesired design backedlup" by si'lk or any lightweight fabric .152" thatwill permitthe'sound to pass through.

turntable 4,. driving motor therefor in cas-i' ing 5, and the soundconductor or .tone arm 6 to which is-c'onnected the outletor passageway? through which the sounds-are de- Ihvered from the tone arm tothe amplifier.

i-apparatus is composed, as hereinafter described, are preferably madeof wood hav- 1-1ng,good resonant quahty such as seasoned Iresonantmaterial. The side walls of'a'space iyor enclosure into whichthe sounds reprofdu ce'd by the stylusare delivered from the outletTofthe tone arm' are-indicated at 8.

"' Twol such wallsformingopposite walls ,of

' 1 1 Said enclosure are shown. Said walls 8. con

-' sist of sounding boards which are unconfined" attheiredges and arefree to vibrate j over their whole surface; The eniialosureis V Icompleted by other walls v8 applied and con'structed so as not tointerfere with the vibration of the edges-ofthe walls 8, as will bepresently described. 'The walls 8 may be j3',.as shown, by being boltedthereto. These side walls 8. are engaged nrsound conductingrelatlon-through racks orbanks of sound transmitting and amplifyingboards 9 with cated-in Fig; 2, vibratively engaged and connected by.their surfaces withthe surfaces of the boards 8 by sound posts or dowels11 which are glued directly secured in firm .engagementwith the variousboards so as to' form. a; solid .medium font-ransinitting sound betweenthem. The rack or bank of V vboards may be sustained within theenclosure which the sound boards 8 forms wall and extend downwardlyfronithe out let 7 and preferably into proximity to a sound reflector 12whieh'may be of concave form" as shown, tozreflect the sounds up-'wa'rdly and outwardly, and the boards of jrthe sound amplifying-lackare of graduated or different lengths as indicated, for the spruceboard,or. mavbe made of other.

' bridges.

l :wsupported from't-he bottom side of thetable purpose ofsupplyingboards for readily re-' connection, by its edgeiwith soundingboards forming the boards of a resonator or resonators 13 by making oneor naore of the boards of the rack extend through .an opening in thereflector'12 v as showinand into engagement with a bridge or bridges 14:I V the upper surface of the horizontally disposed reson'ators, 13.. As

which rest up on shown, the centralboard 11 of the amplifying rack isused for this purpose, said central board being connected in soundvibrative relation, through sound posts, with the remaining members ofthe rack or bank at opposite sides thereof. Preferably, the end of theboard 11 is cut into an arch, as indirated in Fig. 3, to form abridge,the abut- Y ments of the bridge being preferably liev eled orsharpenedto'engagze the notches; 14'

in the resonator bridges lh'thereby holding the board 11? inpositionand-insuring solid, vibrational COIIDBCtlOH thereo It will beseen that thesound posts of the rack or bank do not extend through allof the member boards of the amplifier but merely connect the same inpairs and that the posts of successive pairs are in staggered relationwhich, I find in'practice, is an advantageous relation for this memberof the apparatus so far as concerns volume and capacity for-vibratingthe different tones or rates of tones and for the effective transmissionof thevibrations of one board to the others and to the sound boards '8forming the walls the sound receivin enclosure already referred to. Thissame staggered successive pairs of sound boards is adopted also for thevibrational carriers and amphfiers 9 whirh are employed in a mannerbrations from the sides 8 ofthe amplifierv to the sides of theresonators 10.

with s the relation of sound posts ordowels between" Also. as will beseen, the edges of the sound hoards forthe banks 9 are cut away ortapered to. assist int-ho production of sound, effects therefrom;Thefsound posts connectingthe sides 8 with theraolrs Q are tension bycross rods 17 which .connect bearinn" clips or bars l8 bearing againstthe outindicated at 15 and the sound posts connesting the raclrs orbanks 9 withthe sides side corners of the resonators 10, as shown inhig,l0 compression being applied by means ofthe thumb nuts 19,as'de'scribed. in my prior application. r

The resonator 1() at thcileft is sustained r in v rtical position byposts; as shown. on

gaging thetop ofja table or support 20 in the base and the bottom of thetable 3, while the resonator 10 at the right is supported in a similarway in upright position, excepting mission of the vibrationsendwise fromthe amplifying rack within the space bounded by the wall 8,1 prefer toemploy two resonators or sets of sounding boards 13 arranged in crossedrelation as shown in Fig. 11, and to apply to each a bridge 14 in suchway that it will be sustained at its opposite ends respectively by themembers forming the pair of resonators 13. Each said resonator mayconsist of a pair of sounding boards connected by sound posts, asindicated, so that it will be open at its edge but its ends are closedby solid blocksof wood 22, as shown in Fig, 11, which receive supporting bolts 23, the latter passing through openings in the diagonalbases 01' blocks 24: at the comers of the framing at the bottom of thecabinet or enclosure, as illustrated in Fig. 12.

The top of the cabinet is closed in by aresonator one board of which,forming the upper board of the resonator and indicated at 25, covers theentire area of the top. Said board 25 may have scroll or F-openings orholes F cut out in position shown in Fig. 4; to improve the acousticeffects or reproductions given out by said top resonator. The lowersound board of this resonator, indicated at 26, is approximately onlyone-half the size of the upper board 25, although I do not limit myselfto this proportion of size. It is suitably secured at its edges in theside wall of the cover. A sound post is forced between these boards tokeep them in tension and the lower board 26 is preferably formed with anopening 26 which, in conjunction with the scroll openings, permits theair ito circulatebetweenand around the boards and prevents soundreflections.-

As will be seen, the two boards form in effect a resonator with one endopen. Opposite the open end, one or moresound boards 2'7 are disposedand suitably supported'in the sides of the cover. These boards arepreferably arranged so that the plane of each board will form. an anglewith the plane of the sound boards of the res-' onator. One ofthemextends partially into the space between said boards 25 and 26 and, forthe best effects, the plane of each board 27 forms an angle .with thatof the other. The edges of the boards preferably taper to a point or arereduced at their lower ends and do not. touch at any other.

point excepting that where they aresupported in the sides of the cover.'These boards respond to the vibrations set up in the top resonator andact to further amplify said sounds and improve the quality by respondingto different rates of vibration,

said boardsbeing, 'as shown, ofdifierent is to utilize and amplify themusical sounds in the top ofthe machine and in amplifyingws-aid inuslcalsounds the ob ectionable .mcchanical sounds are practically masked 'oreliminated.

The bottom of the cabinet is closed by a resonator, the two boards ofwhich are indicated at 28while 29 shows the sounduposts connecting them.erly supported firmly in the base and is preferably provided with theoval openings 32 cut out as illustrated inFigs. l and 5 and The objectof the arrangement described Said resonator is pi'opwith the F or scrollopenings 51, as indicated in Fig. 5, these openings beingfor the samepurpose as those provided n the resonator fornnng the top of thecabinet. The sounding boards of the resonator 28 may be kept undertension by one or more sound posts interposed between the upper board 28and the resonator 13 as shown in Figs; 1 and 11,

In practice, I utilize only the two side walls 8 fortransference of thevibrations to the vertically. disposed resonators, in.

which case the remaining two walls '8 may be constructed as indicated inF 1g. 6. Said walls 8 close the space between the two side walls 8 tocomplete the enclosure connected with the tone arm and each wall 8 maybe provided with the dowels at its upper end and with a flange at itslower end for holding the same in place. Each wall is also providedwithflanges or extensions 30,

81' extending at right angles from the plane thereof, the flange 30lapping uponthe outer side of the sides 8 and thefiange 31 entering inthe space between the side 8 and the outer member of the bank of boardsforming the As will be seen, the flanges .pro-

amplifier. videa groove which receives the free edge of the vibratoryside 8. The edges of the for the sound posts 11 in the amplifier bank.

The purpose of this construction is to forn' a good closure at thecorners where the sides 8 and 8 meet without interfering with the freevibrations of the sides 8. What I claim as my invention 1s:-

l. In a sound reproducing.apparatus'of' the characterdescribed, anamplifying device consisting of a bank of sound: boards in flange 31 areshown notched to afford space I 3; In al-sound 'reproducing apparatus,an "V; jan'1p-'lifier consisting of a bank of sound "boards secured inso'und'vibrative' connection iwith one'anothen-isaid boards having theouter gnes edges. thereof terminating in reducedjends. a p f,

VAL In a sound reproducing apparatus, the combination with anan'lplitier'consisting of c and a bridge bearing'against said sounding 7board and support ng an edgeof a boardot' said bank;

5-; I ;a sound reproducingapparatus, the

,"bombination Wit-ha source of soundi'v aves, of

lirection ot movement of the sound'waves enianating'i rom said source,and afresonator engaged with sa' anedgethereoi. I a i I f' '6.'Thecombination withla raclr of sound --boards, of a pair of resonatorsarranged in V crossed relation, and bridges Whose ends are 'operativelysaid bridges-being connected in sound vibra- .tive engagement'witli aboard of said rack.

, :In a sound reproducing apparatus, the combination with a source ofsound waves,

0f an amplifier for receiving said. sound I 'waves,. said amplifierincluding a sound i board, and an additional sound transmitter andamplifier comprising a bank of sound boards" having free redu'ced edgesand 1 s'ecured in sound 'Vibrati e connection with said :firstenamedsound-board. i

' f'soundfainplitier, an enclosurect'or. said appa 21a bank ofsoundboards, of a soundingboard 1 analnpliltier board disposed inline withthe 'd' board throughsupported respectively upon saidresonators;

-- 8 -In a sound reproducing apparatus, a

amis said "enclosure embodying a plurality of resonators nthe outerwalls thereof tor ".-soundretlector positioned adjacent the'out- 7 a letfrom said'amplifier and means mounted in vibrative connection with-saidamplifier tor V conducting the sounds tl1ereiro1n.,.

11 In a sound transmitting-device, an, amplifier comprising a racketsound boards for receiving and amplifying sounds, a sound reflectorpositioned adjacent an-end of said amplifier, a resonator, means con:necting said ampllfier and resonator in sound vibrative connection, saidmeans ex tending through said reflector. V

12. 111 a sound reproducing apparatus, an amplifier tor receivingsounds, means in v brative engagement with said amplifier for conductingsounds outwardly therefrom, an

enclosure for saidapparatus, and additional 7 means, torming'a portionof said enclosure, for receiving and transmitting sounds from withinsaid enclosure.

i 13. 1111?, sound reproducing apparatus, Tan

amplifier coinprisinga bank of sound boards having the edges thereoffreeto i ibrate, and

Closing sides for said edges mounted adjacent to said edges butfreeqtrom contact with said boards.

- 14. In a sound reproducing amplifier including a plurality of soundboards, one of said sound boards ,ha vingits edges free to. vibrate andforming an outer wall of said amplifier. i 1 li'ln' a soundreproducingapparatus, an

amplifier including ,a plurality of sound e boards, one of said soundboards ha'vlng lts edges free'to Vibrate and forming ano uter wall ofsaid amplifienra resonator, and means for conducting sounds from saidsound board to said resonatoruf V 16.-I'n a sound reproducing apparatus,a source of sound waves, an amplifier in the path of the zwavesemanating from said jsource, and a resonator comprising a mainsound1ngboard and plurality or other sounding boards spaced from saidmain soundlng board,:certa1n of said other sounda pp'ar'atusjan V ingboards being arranged at an angle to 7 said main sounding board.

Signed at New, York in the county of ,New York and Statefof New 'Yorkthis 8th day of September A. D. 1923.

IGNATIUS J, vnrrnn.

